THE UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA AT ASHEVILLE FACULTY SENATE Senate Document Number 1189S  Date of Senate Approval 2/9/89  Signature of Senate Chair _______________________ Date __________ Action of Vice Chancellor: Approval _______________________ Date ______________ Denied _______________________ Date ______________ Reasons for denial and suggested modifications: - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Statement of Faculty Senate Action: APC Document #1-B Catalog Copy for Honors Program I. Catalog Changes A. DELETE: Catalog copy, pp. 50-51 1988-89 B. Replace deleted copy with the following: University Honors Program The University Honors Program offers academically talented and motivated students an Honors curriculum that complements the general education and major requirements. The Honors Program emphasizes both breadth and depth in liberal education. The breadth comes through special emphasis on interdisciplinary courses. Depth, or excellence in a particular field, is encouraged through undergraduate research with a faculty mentor in the academic major. Page 2 The Honors Program also offers a range of extracurricular activities designed to foster community and leadership among participants. Honors students have the option of living with other Honors students in special group housing. Students enrolled in the University Honors Program may enroll in off-campus "Honors Semesters" sponsored by the National Collegiate Honors Council. These involve course work and field experiences at other NCHC member institutions. Credits earned in these "Honors Semesters" are transferred to UNCA from the host institution. Some forms of financial aid may be applied to the cost of this program. North Carolina Teaching Fellows are automatically accepted into the Honors Program, as are students receiving Undergraduate Fellowships and Scholars Awards (see Scholarships, pp. xxx - xxx). Others are admitted by application. Admission for freshmen is based upon SAT scores and high school performance. Normally, acceptance into the University Honors Program is limited to students from the top 10% of the entering freshmen class. Promising transfer students may also apply for admission, and continuing UNCA students may apply if they have maintained a G.P.A. of at least 3.0. For information about specific program requirements, see the Honors listing under Courses of Instruction, pp. xxx - xxx. For additional details about the University Honors Program, contact the Program Director. RATIONALE: Replaces the deliberately minimal original catalog statement. Four years of experience with the Honors Program suggests that we are ready to be more specific and commit ourselves to the catalog. This statement is based on operating procedures as established within the guidelines of Senate documents. C. ADD: The following catalog copy after the section on History and before the section on Humanities. HONORS (HON) Honors courses are open to students in the University Honors Program (see pp. xxxx) and to others by permission. Designed for talented and motivated students, the Honors curriculum complements the general education and major curricula. Successful completion of the Honors program enables the student to graduate "With Distinction as a University Scholar." Honors students may (with permission) enroll in special topics courses offered by the Master of Liberal Arts Program (MLA) at UNCA. In addition to the courses listed below, special Honors sections of Lang 102, Humanities and other general education courses and Honors special topics courses offered by departments also count toward program requirements. Page 3 Recipients of Undergraduate Fellowships and University Scholars Awards (see Scholarships, pp. xxx - xxx) may have Honors course requirements in addition to those listed below. Program in Honors I. Required courses in the Program -- five Honors courses for at least fifteen hours credit, to include HON 492 and at least one three credit hour special topics Honors course at the 300 level or above. II. Special Program Requirements -- A. No more than three credit hours in Honors readings and research may count toward the fifteen hours. B. A Senior Honors Project, which may be pursued under the supervision of the major department and/or the Director of the Honors Program. C. Students must maintain a 3.00 GPA to remain in good standing and enroll in Honors courses. Graduation "with distinction as a University Scholar" requires an overall GPA of 3.00, a 3.5 GPA for Honors courses, and a 3.5 on the last sixty hours of college credit earned. 101 The Undergraduate Research Experience (1) An introduction to undergraduate research opportunities. Explores "ways of knowing" characteristic of particular disciplines, compares and contrasts research methods in the sciences, social sciences, and humanities. Required for recipients of Undergraduate Fellowships and Scholars Awards. 171-3, 271-3, 371-3, 471-3 Special Topics in Honors (1-3) Special courses designed for Honors students. These courses are often interdisciplinary in nature, but may focus on a particular field. They emphasize reading and discussion of original texts, and critical thinking. 181-3, 281-3, 381-3, 481-3 Readings and Research for Honors (1-3) Reading and research under the supervision of faculty in a particular discipline or an interdisciplinary team of faculty. May be used to grant credit toward the Senior Honors Project. Prerequisite: Contract among the student, supervising faculty and the Honors Program Director. 492 Senior Honors Colloquium (2) Based on the Senior Honors Project. The colloquium brings together students from several disciplines for presentation and discussion of their work. Prerequisite: Page 4 Application with Honors Director. Application should be made no later than the beginning of the semester prior to the semester in which the student plans to enroll in the Colloquium. D. ADD TO THE CATALOG: In the section titled SCHOLARSHIPS. Undergraduate Fellowships and Scholars Awards Undergraduate Fellowships and Scholars Awards offer scholarship support of at least $500 per year, acceptance into the University Honors Program and a special academic program of undergraduate research or creative activity under the supervision of a faculty mentor. Competition for Fellowships and Scholars Awards is open to entering freshmen pursuing a bachelor's degree from UNCA in any major offered on the Asheville campus. Fellowships and Awards are based on SAT scores, high school class rank, recommendations, and a personal interview. Contact the Admissions Office for additional information and application forms. II. SUMMARY OF PROPOSED CHANGES IN HONORS PROGRAM 1. Program Eligibility for Incoming Freshmen and Transfer students: Remains as approved in original APC document #16, 1984-85. (SAT score of at least 1000, top 20% of high school graduating class; 3.25 GPA on 36 credit hours for transfer students.) Note that these are minimal standards. Acceptance into the program will generally not exceed the top 10% of the entering freshmen class. Transfers will be accepted based on their ability to complete program requirements (see below.) 2. Program Eligibility for Continuing UNCA Students: A. Original requirements: UNCA students having a 3.25 GPA in freshmen writing and Humanities 124 will be invited to apply. B. Proposed requirements: UNCA students having at least a 3.00 GPA are automatically eligible to apply. Students having less than a 3.00 overall GPA, but who have distinguished themselves in recent semesters may apply with a faculty referral. Such students may be allowed to register for an Honors course and be admitted to the Program with provisional status. Continuing students will generally have their applications approved if they stand to complete Honors program requirements within their remaining semesters. (See 3 below.) C. Rationale: Original requirements were designed as part of Page 5 the start-up program. Proposed requirements are consistent with good standing and "graduation with distinction" criteria proposed below. D. Effective Date: already operational given the provisional nature of the original criteria. 3. Good Standing in the Honors Program: A. Original requirements: Good standing at discretion of Program Director and Honors Council, with the provision that students demonstrate an ability to complete Honors work at a "B" level. B. Proposed Requirements: Must maintain at least a 3.00 GPA overall to continue in good standing. Failure to do so results in suspension. Suspension prohibits registration for Honors courses until such time as the 3.00 GPA is re-established. Suspensions may be appealed to the Honors Council. Freshmen, however, have three semesters in which to attain the 3.00 GPA; during such time as their GPA may be below a 3.00, they will be "on warning", with eligibility to register for Honors courses subject to review by the Director. Students provisionally admitted to the program must attain the 3.00 overall before they will be accepted in good standing. C. Rationale: Operationalizes the general intent of original document and puts students on the right track for "distinction" as indicated below. D. Effective date: already operational given the provisional nature of the original criteria. 4. Graduation "with Distinction as a University Scholar:" A. Current requirements: Completion of the Honors curriculum (see below) with a 3.00 GPA overall and in Honors courses. B. Proposed requirements: Completion of the Honors curriculum with a 3.00 GPA overall, and a 3.5 GPA for Honors courses and on the last 60 hours of course work. C. Rationale: More rigorous standards reflect the actual performance of those completing the curriculum. The 3.5 is consistent with standards for departmental distinction. The emphasis on the last 60 hours is important for returning students with previously undistinguished college careers. D. Effective date: Immediately for students having 60 or fewer credit hours. Students to be effected by the change were informed on acceptance into the Honors program that such a requirement for the last 60 hours was likely to be implemented. 5. Curriculum: Page 6 A. Current curriculum: The current Honors curriculum includes 1.) special sections of general education courses designated for Honors (e.g. Humanities 124.H Honors). 2.) "373" special topics courses designated Honors in the course title and offered with departmental labels; these courses follow from an original Honors emphasis on an interdisciplinary upper level experience, falling under an original rubric of the "Honors Junior Seminar". 3.) Hon 492: Senior Honors Colloquium, a 2 credit seminar featuring presentations and discussion of the Senior Honors Project; the project itself is typically awarded credit through departments. B. Proposed curriculum: 1. Establish the HON prefix for use with interdisciplinary special topics courses, to be offered at various levels for variable hours credit. Expand opportunities for departmental special topics courses with Honors designation, beyond the "373: Junior Seminar" concept. Rationale: Provides additional flexibility in designing interdisciplinary special topics courses. In the absence of the HON prefix, such courses are labeled IST (interdisciplinary special topics) : Honors. The HON label is more appropriate than the non-descript IST. Allows departments greater flexibility to offer Honors courses at levels other than 300 and for other than three hours credit. 2. Establish the HON prefix for readings and research courses. Rationale: Suitable for interdisciplinary readings and research courses where departmental offerings are inadequate. Allows Honors credit for such courses which are often part of the student's Senior Honors Project. 3. Note that MLA courses are open to select undergraduates, and that these may be granted Honors credit. Rationale: Expands Honors style learning opportunities. 4. Establish Hon 101: The Undergraduate Research Experience as a specific introductory course for freshmen Research Fellows, Scholars Award recipients and general Honors students. Required for Fellows and Scholars Award recipients; optional for others. Rationale: This course has been offered on an experimental basis for the past two years. It is proving important as a community building experience, while introducing Honors students to opportunities for undergraduate research. Page 7 C. Effective date: Fall 1989. 6. Curricular Requirements: A. Current requirements: Must complete at least five Honors courses for at least fifteen hours credit, including a 373 Junior Seminar special topics course and HON 492: Senior Honors Colloquium (which itself implies the completion of a Senior Honors Project. B. Proposed requirements: Must complete at least five Honors courses for at least fifteen hours credit, including at least one three or more hour Honors special topics at the 300 level or above (MLA courses may be approved for substitution), HON 492: Senior Honors Colloquium, and a Senior Honors project. Undergraduate Fellows and Scholars Award recipients may be required to include other specific courses within the 15 hour requirement. No more than three hours Honors credit in readings and research may count toward the fifteen hour requirement. C. Rationale: Allows for greater flexibility and the inclusion of MLA courses in the requirement for upper level courses. Senior Honors Colloquium continues to be required, but the requirement of the Senior Honors Project on which participation in the Colloquium is based is made more explicit. Students with Undergraduate Research Fellowships and Scholars Awards are required to take HON 101: The Undergraduate Research Experience, and other courses as may be designated a part of the scholarship package. The limitation on readings and research hours ensures that students pursue most of their Honors work in a collaborative classroom environment. D. Effective date: Immediate. Expands opportunities for students, so that students are not disadvantaged by the changed requirements. III. Relationship to APC Document 1A Document 1A granted official approval for student participation in off campus Honors semesters through the establishment of consortium agreements with Honors semester campuses. Document 1A included catalog copy explaining how Honors semesters work. The sense of APC is that catalog copy should be minimized. Therefore, document 1B should be considered the comprehensive document for catalog copy, and the catalog copy approved in 1A should be struck. Page 8